If elected as leader, the East Dunbartonshire MP would become the first woman to lead the party.

In a video posted on Twitter on Friday, Mr Rennie praised the work of Ms Swinson and outlined his support for her leadership bid.

“I’m backing Jo Swinson to be leader of the Liberal Democrats,” he said.

“It’s time for a woman to lead our party but there are many more great reasons to back Jo Swinson.

“Sometimes it’s a battle to get the best media coverage for the party so we need a leader who has the skills necessary to be heard loudly.

“Jo is an excellent communicator and she’ll be a fantastic champion to take on the forces of nationalism and populism.”

He added: “Jo is a fantastic campaigner, who showed the determination and campaigning skill the party needs when she won her seat back from the SNP, and I’m excited to see how she brings all that energy and hard work to the role of the leader of our party.”

I’m excited to announce I’m running for leader of the @LibDems so we can:

– Build an economy that puts people and the planet first– Harness the technological revolution for Britain’s future– Rally a liberal movement to stand up for our values

Ms Swinson said: “I’m delighted to be standing to be the next leader of the Liberal Democrats.

“Our politics is fracturing and I believe the country is crying out for a liberal movement that can stand up to the forces of nationalism and populism.

“I want to lead the Liberal Democrats so that we are at the heart of that movement and reach out to the millions of people who share our values and want an alternative to the hard-right Tories and hard-left Labour.”

Today I’m delighted to announce I’m running to be leader of the @LibDems